Championship captain Michael Hogan rued the missed opportunity to claim victory over Sussex at Colwyn Bay, as the visitors claimed a thrilling victory by the narrowest of margins against an inexperienced Glamorgan team featuring 8 Academy graduates.
"It's a disappointing result in the end," said Hogan "but we take a lot of positives out of the way a young group played over the three days."
Hogan, 36, has led the team in red-ball cricket since Jacques Rudolph announced his retirement at the end of the season, and with a number of first line players rested ahead of Finals Day on Saturday, the New South Wales seamer was the most experienced representative for Glamorgan by some margin in this fixture on the north Wales coast.
""There were whispers of 'why are we sending a second team up' (to North Wales), and probably no-one apart from us expected to win," Hogan told BBC Sport. "The next oldest was 11 years my junior, it kept me energised!
"We were probably favourites (at 160-8) with the wicket just offering enough, but the way Robinson played was the way he needed to play on that wicket.
"There were eight lads who've come through our system and it bodes well for the future."
Indeed this young Glamorgan side can take a lot of credit from their performance which augurs well for the future, Head Coach Robert Croft regretted dropped catches in Sussex’s second innings, including Van Zyl, who was dropped at second slip on 1 that would have reduced Sussex to 11 for 3.
“We're disappointed with the result, but proud of the way the young team battled to remain in contention until the end," said Croft.
"They say catches win matches and we did put four down, but these players will learn from the experience.”
Glamorgan now return to south Wales as preparations continue ahead of NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day on Saturday, travelling to the Midlands Friday afternoon ahead of the semi-final clash at 11am at Edgbaston against home team and hosts Birmingham Bears.